VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHQT #1035/01 3492120
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O R 152120Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0551
INFO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFISS/DLA FT BELVOIR VA
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 001035 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO PM/WRA (ED TRIMAKAS) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/15 
TAGS: PREL MASS PGOV MCAP KHDP EC PE
SUBJECT: GOE REQUEST FOR DEMINING ASSISTANCE PRESENTS UNIQUE 
OPPORTUNITY 
 
REF: STATE 122324; QUITO 997; QUITO 708 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Heather M. Hodges, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(A), (B), 
(D) 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY: The Ecuadorian government seeks USG assistance in 
its humanitarian demining program.  After years of inconclusive 
discussion with the GOE, the MFA's recent requests for USG 
assistance, combined with extension of the GOE's commitment to the 
Ottawa Convention, increasingly close political ties with Peru, and 
unique role of the USG as guarantor of the Peace Accord between 
Ecuador and Peru present an opportunity to advance a beneficial 
program with the GOE.  Cooperation and work with Ecuador in 
demining is already paying dividends in access to destruction of 
MANPADS and other munitions.  Embassy Quito invites the Office of 
Weapons Removal and Abatement (WRA) to visit Ecuador to assess 
Ecuador's humanitarian demining needs and opportunities for 
potential assistance and cooperation.  END SUMMARY 
 
 
 
REQUESTS FOR USG ASSISTANCE 
 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In a diplomatic note dated September 10, and a detailed 
e-mail response to Embassy questions received on December 3, the 
MFA has asked that the USG renew its financial assistance to 
Ecuador's humanitarian demining program.  The GOE's request for USG 
assistance is to help cover the operating costs for its 2010 
humanitarian demining program, $500,000 of which is dependent upon 
international donors 
 
 
 
¶3.  (C) The Department of State provided $1,623,985 to the 
Organization of American States' Office of Humanitarian Mine Action 
for Ecuador from 2001 to 2005, with almost $264,000 in 2005.  Since 
then, the USG provided a Tempest machine which was on loan for more 
than two years from the Humanitarian Demining Research and 
Development Program at Fort Belvoir.  In addition, the U.S. 
Southern Command's Humanitarian Mine Action program via the 
Embassy' Military Group has committed $100,000 in infrastructure 
and $70,000 in equipment upgrades to the GOE's demining school, and 
annually provides demining training to the GOE's military.  Former 
Director General of Sovereignty Affairs and Director of Ecuador's 
Demining Center (CENDESMI) Bolivar Torres publicly expressed 
gratitude on repeated occasions for this recent assistance. 
 
 
 
GOE BUDGET 
 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The September 10 diplomatic note states that the GOE's 
annuQcost to continue its humanitarian demining program is 
approximately $1.5 million, at least through 2012.  Beginning in 
2009, approximately $1 million has been funded annually by the GOE, 
leaving an additional $500,000 required from international donors. 
For its 2010 humanitarian program operations, the GOE has received 
only slightly more than $116,000 from Belgium, leaving $384,000 of 
assistance needed to complete the GOE's operating budget.  In the 
five prior years, the GOE received considerably more in annual 
international contributions, ranging from $201,000 to $882,000. 
 
 
 
¶5.  (C) In addition to the above, the GOE has received pledges for 
the provision of equipment and materials from Japan at a value of 
approximately $500,000, an excavator from Germany worth 
approximately $137,000, and the USG has informally agreed to lend 
sifting equipment (cernidor) that would complement the excavator 
for the Rio Chira demining effort in Zapotillo, Ecuador.  (Note: 
These other contributions will help improve the efficiency of 
Ecuador's demining operations but do not actually reduce the GOE's 
operating costs.  End Note.) 
 
 
¶6.  (C) During a presidential summit in Piura, Peru, on October 22, 
2009, Ecuador President Rafael Correa and Peru President Alan 
Garcia reiterated a commitment to create a seed fund, with a 
pledged contribution from each country of $2 million.  This seed 
fund would be deposited eventually into an escrow account with the 
Andean Growth Corporation, and will serve as a basis for promoting 
additional international support for the demining programs of both 
countries.  (Note: The commitment to this seed fund was originally 
signed by the two presidents on October 25, 2008, during a summit 
in Machala, Ecuador, marking the ten-year anniversary of the 1998 
peace agreement.  It is unclear when and if this seed fund will 
actually be implemented.  End Note.) 
 
 
 
GOE DEMINING GOALS 
 
 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The diplomatic note clarifies that full funding of the 
GOE's demining program would allow the GOE to complete the 
following activities in 2010:  the clearing of ten mined zones; 
removal and destruction of 848 antipersonnel mines; sweeping of 
27,890 square meters (m2) in Tiwintza Canton, 10,000 m2 in 
Zapotillo Canton, and 12,500 m2 in the Zapotillo and Chira river 
sector; implementation of educational programs regarding the danger 
of antipersonnel mines in 31 border communities in the El Oro and 
Loja provinces; and the completion of impact studies in the 
Morona-Santiago and Zamora-Chinchipe provinces. 
 
 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Longer term, the GOE's goals are to clear all remaining 
mined areas by 2017, provide safe access to Tiwintza, implement a 
preventative educational campaign, assist 70 victims, incorporate 
training into the final destruction of 1000 mines currently in 
storage, avoid degradation of biodiversity in the southern border 
region, and integrate development programs into the demined areas. 
 
 
 
GOE HUMANITARIAN DEMINING MANAGEMENT 
 
 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Ecuador's National Humanitarian Demining Center 
(CENDESMI), established on September 22, 1999, still manages 
Ecuador's demining program.  However, an ongoing reorganization of 
Ecuador's Foreign Ministry changed the leadership of CENDESMI. 
While it had been led since its inception by the MFA's Directorate 
General of Sovereignty, CENDESMI was placed under the supervision 
of the Directorate General of Border Relations with Peru in 
November 2009. 
 
 
 
¶10.  (SBU) CENDESMI is a multi-agency organization led by the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in conjunction with the Ministry 
of Defense, Ministry of Health, Ecuadorian Agency of International 
Cooperation (AGECI), and the Demining General Command (CGD). 
 
 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The CGD is an organic entity of the Ecuadorian Army's 
Corps of Engineers, and is in charge of managing all of Ecuador's 
demining operations and Ecuador's demining school.  The CGD 
increased the number of its soldiers from 60 to 100 in October 
¶2009. 
 
 
 
STATUS OF ECUADOR'S DEMINING PROGRAM 
 
 
¶12.  (SBU) In November 2008, the GOE and Government of Peru 
received an eight year extension to fulfill their obligations under 
the Ottawa Convention to complete the destruction of their 
anti-personnel mines by 2017.  The MFA states that as of December 
3, 2009, Ecuador still had approximately 5,786 mines to be 
destroyed (5,758 anti-personnel and 28 anti-tank) of the 10,910 
mines originally planted along its southern border.  According to 
information from the OAS' Comprehensive Action Against 
Anti-Personnel Mines (AICMA), these mines are localized in an area 
of approximately 499,200 m2, in 74 distinct areas along the 
southern provinces of El Oro, Loja, Zamora-Chinchipe, 
Morona-Santiago and Pastaza.  The Embassy has sent separately to 
PM/WRA tables showing previously demined areas and the types of 
mines per province. 
 
 
 
BILATERAL COOPERATION WITH PERU 
 
 
 
¶13.  (C) Ecuador's relations with Peru have steadily improved since 
the Peace Accord.  Former head of CENDESMI Bolivar Torres called 
demQng "the most important confidence building mechanism between 
the two countries." 
 
 
 
¶14.  (SBU) Subsequent to the signing of the Peace Accord between 
Ecuador and Peru on October 26, 1998, bilateral cooperation began 
on an operational level, with demining activities along the border 
area.  Since 2003, both countries have conducted joint demining 
operations in the El Oro-Tubes and Loja-Piura sectors.  Since 
October 2006, Ecuadorian and Peruvian demining units have conducted 
simultaneous parallel operations along their common border in the 
Cordillera del Condor region, near the Shirumsa-Chiqueiza border 
marker. 
 
 
 
¶15.  (SBU) Since 2007, Ecuador and Peru formalized their demining 
cooperation with the creation of bilateral mechanisms, including 
biannual meetings between CENDESMI and CONTRAMINAS (Peru's mine 
action authority), and have conducted joint training and 
participated in multilateral fora.  Coordination of demining 
activities is conducted via a bilateral mechanism called the "2 
plus 2", in which members of CENDESMI and CONTRAMINAS, and the 
foreign and defense ministries, meet.  Bilateral summits between 
presidents Correa and Garcia also have provided impetus to 
initiatives such as the Bilateral Commission of Measures to Promote 
Mutual Confidence and Security, which meets annually and includes a 
discussion of humanitarian demining issues. 
 
 
 
¶16.  (SBU) In February 2009, Ecuadorian and Peruvian demining unit 
commanders signed the Seventh Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to 
strengthen cooperation.  The MOU established specific areas for 
clearance, provided for periodic information exchanges, exchange of 
equipment, bilateral working meetings and joint terrain 
reconnaissance, and defined a combined medical evacuation and 
treatment plan. 
 
 
 
GOE RECEPTIVITY TO CONTRACTORS 
 
 
 
¶17.  (C) The GOE stated in its December 3 response to the Embassy's 
request for additional information that the GOE's demining program 
is "transparent", but did not clarify whether contractors would be 
accepted to implement any new cooperation/USG-funded activities. 
The response stated that all demining activities have been 
 
 
conducted by its CDG.  (Comment: Embassy believes that the GOE 
would be receptive to the inclusion of third party contractors as 
long as the Demining General Command (CGD) is trained and involved 
in the process, as was the GOE's response regarding the use of 
contractors for the destruction of munitions during PM/WRA's Mark 
Adams' August 28 meeting visit to Ecuador (Ref C).  GOE acceptance 
would require a clear explanation of the GOE's role in the process 
and could be discussed during an assessment visit.  End Comment.) 
 
 
 
¶18.  (C) Former head of CENDESMI Torres told the Embassy in October 
2009 that Ecuador considered multilateral participation essential 
in maintaining confidence between Ecuador and Peru's demining 
efforts.  The GOE's demining program has been implemented primarily 
through its CDG in cooperation with AICMA since 2001.  The 
Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) has coordinated a team of 
international monitors who compose the Assistance Mission for Mine 
Clearance in South America (MARMINAS) and supported Ecuador and 
Peru's demining operations since 2003. 
 
 
 
OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT USG COMMITMENT 
 
 
 
¶19.  (C) The USG's role in the peace process between Ecuador and 
Peru following the Cenepa War was unique and still provides 
opportunities for trilateral engagement.  The U.S. was one of the 
guarantors that helped achieve the Brasilia (Itamaraty) Peace 
Accord of October 26, 1998, which formally ended hostilities 
between Peru and Ecuador.  The innovative solution for Tiwintza as 
part of the Accord (i.e., privately owned land of one state, inside 
another's territory) still has important international precedence 
and ramifications, but the commitment to provide mine-free access 
to the land has not been fulfilled. 
 
 
 
¶20.  (C) During the November 10 U.S-Ecuador Bilateral Dialogue in 
Washington, the GOE suggested that humanitarian demining would be a 
positive area for cooperation (Ref A), reiterated by the MFA Under 
Secretary of Bilateral Affairs Leonardo Arizaga to the Ambassador 
on November 22 (Ref B).  A recommitment of U.S. assistance to 
Ecuador's humanitarian demining program offers an opportunity to 
underscore the USG's commitment to the Ecuadorian people and 
provide leverage with the GOE.  Renewing assistance in humanitarian 
demining would also allow the Embassy to highlight publicly that 
the USG is fulfilling its commitments as one of the guarantors of 
the 1988 peace treaty. 
 
 
 
REQUEST FOR ASSESSMENT VISIT BY PM/WRA 
 
 
 
¶21.  (C) The Embassy would welcome a visit by PM/WRA in early 2010 
to perform an assessment of Ecuador's humanitarian demining program 
needs, as well as the GOE's receptivity to direct assistance and 
use of contractors.  The Embassy will follow up with the MFA to 
confirm appropriate visit dates.  In addition to this request for 
funds from PM/WRA, the Embassy will also coordinate with U.S. 
Southern Command regarding ongoing assistance in training, 
equipment and facility upgrades. 
 
 
 
 
¶22.  (U) POCs for this request are Embassy Quito Political-Military 
Officer Mark Pannell, telephone: 011-593-2-398-5502, e-mail: 
PannellMA@state.sgov.gov, or Military Group Commander COL Robert 
Gaddis, telephone: 011-593-2-398-5387, e-mail: 
Robert.Gaddis@tcsc.southcom.smil.mil. 
HODGES